This Victorian masterpiece of comic irony and unsentimental warmth has a force of nature at its core: headstrong Lucilla Marjoribanks. Mrs Oliphant’s unconventional and endearing heroine is ‘a woman with a mission’: she is determined to take charge of her widowed father and shape the social life of the community. With insight, tact and intelligence, she organises events, manages relationships, and guides the fates of those around her, all while remaining firmly in control of her own life.

As the ‘missing link’ between Jane Austen and George Eliot, Margaret Oliphant deserves her growing readership. Part of her Chronicles of Carlingford series, this novel of great intelligence, quiet subversion and delightful wit was one of her finest creations. Narrated by Lucy Scott, it is sure to prove a wonderful discovery to many.